Box construction for cap ammunition strips for toy firearms

ABSTRACT

A storage device for strips of caps used in toy guns. A substantially open ended box is divided into a plurality of separate chambers. Each chamber stores a strip of caps which extends beyond the box. The cap strips are provided with projecting tabs positioned so as to be located just within the box when the strip is stored. The open ends of the chamber are partially closed by tongues which cooperate with the tabs of the strips to retain the strips in the box. By exerting a pulling force on the extending portion of a cap strip, the corresponding box tongue is broken off to permit the strip to be fully withdrawn from its chamber.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Giampiero Fem Via Stoppani 38,Florence, Italy [21] Appl. No. 842,558 [22] Filed July 17, 1969 [45]Patented Mar. 16, 1971 [32] Priority Aug. 13, 1968 [33] Italy [314l68B/68 [54] BOX CONSTRUCTION FOR CAP AMMUNITION 16.5,17, 45.12, 56(M), (A4), (A3); 102/865; 221/302, 32

Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Stephen MarcusAttorneyCushman, Darby & Cushman ABSTRACT: A storage device for stripsof caps used in toy guns. A substantially open ended box is divided intoa plurality of separate chambers. Each chamber stores a strip of capswhich extends beyond the box. The cap strips are provided withprojecting tabs positioned so as to be located just within the box whenthe strip is stored. The open ends of the chamber are partially closedby tongues which cooperate with the tabs of the strips to retain thestrips in the box. By exerting a pulling force on the extending portionof a cap strip, the corresponding box tongue is broken off to permit thestrip to be fully withdrawn from its chamber.

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BOX ONSTRUCTION FOR CAP AMMUNITION STRIPS FOR TOY FIREARMS The subjectof the present application is a box for storing a group of explosive capammunition strips for use in toy firearms, the strips being adapted tobe individually extracted from the box.

Briefly, the box has a plurality of elongated chambers which are a openat one end, the open ends being partially closed by tongues which arereadily broken from the box. Each chamber is adapted to receive onestrip in such manner that an appendix on said strip extends beyond theopen end of its chamber. The tongue of each chamber is adapted to retainits corresponding cap strip within the chamber until the tongue isbroken off by a projecting tab on the cap strip adjacent the tongue whenan adequate pull is exerted on the appendix of the strip.

In practice, the box is formed by an intermediate dividing wall and twocooperating external housing elements designed to be assembled with thedividing wall after the introduction of the strips to the latter.

In registry with the open end of the box there may be-provided anextension of one of the walls of the box, the extension being inparticular formed as an element for the protection of the stripappendices against illicit tampering. The extension is formed withappropriate fissures to permit snapping off the extension to facilitatethe extraction of the strips.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate in perspective the box for cap strips as awhole and with the extension broken off and a strip being extracted,respectively;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate in perspective the intermediate and an externalbox element, respectively;

FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of boxes suspended for exhibitionpurposes;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, and illustrate sectional views of the box taken alonglines VI-Vl of FIG. 1, VII-VII of FIG. 2, and VIII-VIII, IX-IX, X-X ofFIG. 1, respectively; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate in perspective a plurality of cap stripsaccording to the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 1 designates abox construction designed to receive strips of caps 3. The box comprisesanintermediate wall 1A (FIG. 4) and two external housing elements 18(FIG. 3) mounted on opposite sides of element 1A. This combination formsa box having a plurality of elongated, adjacent chambers 5, defined byribs lC-lD extending between the wall and the housing elements, thechambers being arranged in two layers or strata. The chambers are openat one end, and each has a retaining tongue 7 which is relatively thinso that it may be severed from the box. Each cap strip 3 has amanipulating appendix 3A (FIGS. 11 and 12) which is longitudinallyslotted at 3B and which extends beyond the elongated chamber 5, and thusbeyond the tongue 7, so as to constitute a grasping means for extractingthe cap strip 3 from the box. The appendices 3A of the strips disposedin box I extend, prior to extraction, adjacent to an extension 9(FIG. 1) on the intermediate wall 1A of the box. The extension 9 hasincisions 9A defining a predetermined fracture line registering with theopen end of each chamber 5, so as to permit the removal of extension 9and in this way facilitate the grasping of the appendices 3A. Extension9 has projecting edges 9C which impede the extraction of the stripsuntil the said extension 9 has been removed.

As stated previously, the box 1 is formed by two external housingelements 18 which are secured to the intermediate wall 1A, wh with theassistance of the ribs 1C and 1D. The elements 18 include the tongues 7and, adjacent thereto, short diaphragms 1E for separation of the endopenings of the various elongated chambers 5.

The cap strips 3 are disposed in the chambers 5 in such manner as toproject with their appendices 3A along the extension 9 of the wall 1A.After the wall 1A and elements 18 of the box are joined the strips areretained within the chambers 5 by the tongue The box construction may beexhibited (FIG. 5) by being suspended by means of the element 9B forminga portion of extension 9.

The strips may be selectively extracted from the elongated chambers 5 byfracturing the tongues 7 which, for this purpose, are relatively thin.In order to effect selective extraction, it is necessary to previouslyremove the extension 9 from the box.

To facilitate extraction and to insure the rupture of a retaining tongue7, there is provided at one end of the strip appendix 3A a projection 38(FIGS. 11 and 12) by which grasping of the appendix is made easier, andat the other end of 3A there is a projecting tab 3C which is positionedjust within the box adjacent the tongue 7 when the strip is lodged inits chamber 5. The tab 3C is disposed between the appendix 3A and thefirst of the caps 3E of each strip. When the appendix 3A is grasped anda pulling force is exerted to extract the strip, tab 3C is forcedagainst the tongue 7 and produces the rupture thereof in such manner asto permit extraction of the cap strip.

The ribs 1C and 1D permit the guiding and centering of the I strips 3 intheir respectiveelongated chambers 5.

I. A box for storing'a group -of ammunition strips for toy firearms,each strip havinga series of caps therealong, comprising:

a housing separated into a plurality of elongated chambers open at oneend, each chamber containing an ammunition strip which includes anappendix which extends beyond the open end of the chamber;

a plurality of tongues severably connected to said housing,

each tongue partially closing the open end of an individual chamber toretain the ammunition strip therein; and

means responsive to the exertion of a pulling force on the appendix ofan ammunition strip to sever the associated tongue from the housing tothereby permit the strip to be withdrawn from its chamber.

2. A box according to claim 1, wherein said severing means comprises atab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side ofthe tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue tosever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.

3. A box according to claim 1, further comprising an extension severablyconnected to said housing and projecting beyond the appendices of saidstrips, said extension being formed to impede the withdrawal of saidstrips until the extension is severed from the housing.

4. A box according to claim 1, said housing comprising an intermediatewall and external housing elements secured to said wall on oppositesides thereof, said chambers being formed by ribs extending between thehousing elements and the wall.

5. A box according to claim 4, further comprising an extension severablyconnected to said intermediate wall and projecting beyond the appendicesof said strips, said extension being formed to impede the withdrawal ofsaid strips until the extension is severed from said wall.

6. A box according to claim 5, wherein said severing means comprises atab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side ofthe tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue tosever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.

1. A box for storing a group of ammunition strips for toy firearms, eachstrip having a series of caps therealong, comprising: a housingseparated into a plurality of elongated chambers open at one end, eachchamber containing an ammunition strip which includes an appendix whichextends beyond the open end of the chamber; a plurality of tonguesseverably connected to said housing, each tongue partially closing theopen end of an individual chamber to retain the ammunition striptherein; and means responsive to the exertion of a pulling force on theappendix of an ammunition strip to sever the associated tongue from thehousing to thereby permit the strip to be withdrawn from its chamber. 2.A box according to claim 1, wherein said severing means comprises a tabprojecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side of thetongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue to seversame when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.
 3. A box accordingto claim 1, further comprising an extension severably connected to saidhousing and projecting beyond the appendices of said strips, saidextension being formed to impede the withdrawal of said strips until theextension is severed from the housing.
 4. A box according to claim 1,said housing comprising an intermediate wall and external housingelements secured to said wall on opposite sides thereof, said chambersbeing formed by ribs extending between the housing elements and thewall.
 5. A box accordinG to claim 4, further comprising an extensionseverably connected to said intermediate wall and projecting beyond theappendices of said strips, said extension being formed to impede thewithdrawal of said strips until the extension is severed from said wall.6. A box according to claim 5, wherein said severing means comprises atab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side ofthe tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue tosever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.